Apparatus for forming a concrete pipe



June 13, 1961 H. w. MARTIN ETAL APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CONCRETE PIPE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24, 1956 HOWARD W MART/N ROBERT E. GARDNER INVENTORS HUEBNER, BEEHLER,

WORREL & HERZIG ATTORNEYS June 13, 1961 H. w. MARTIN ETAL 2,987,793

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CONCRETE PIPE Filed Sept. 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .R G mmmwmm M T H H N W NEHR E E 0 B T 0 N 2.5.1 A EE WE NR 09 H H U0 R H W June 13, 1961 H. w. MARTIN ETAL APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CONCRETE PIPE Filed Sept. 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 HOWARD W MART/N ROBERT B. GARDNE R IN VEN TOR. HUEBN ER, BEEHLER,

WORREL & HERZIG ATTORNEYS BY WM June 13, 1961 H. w. MARTIN ETAL 2,987,793

APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CONCRETE PIPE Filed Sept. 24, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 N wk HOWARD W MAR77N ROBE/P7. B. GARDNER INVENTOR HUEBNER, BEEHLER, WORREL & HERZIG ATTORNEYS BY WWW United States Patent 2,987,793 APPARATUS FOR FORMING A CONCRETE PIPE Howard W. Martin and Robert B. Gardner, Fresno, Calif., assignors to Jourdan Concrete Pipe Co., Fresno County, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Sept. 24, 1956, Ser. No. 611,614 6 Claims. (Cl. 25-32) short to be handled manually or with available mechanical aids. The sections of pipe are cured, hauled to the point of use, assembled in alignment, and interconnected by joints of mortar, normally called grout. This procedure has required extensive labor for the pre-casting, transporting, positioning, and assembly in fluid tight interconnection. The extent of the labor requirements has become progressively onerous as labor costs have increased. Even though the sections of pipe are relatively short for handling purposes, which requires more extensive grouting than longer sections would require, they are of such weight that mechanical equipment is normally employed to handle the sections. Inasmuch as such equipment is needed where the pipe is produced, for transporting the pipe, and at the location Where the pipe is ultimately laid, a substantial capital investment is required for those engaged in the business.

Additionally, even though the pipe sections are normally made quite strong and are handled with care, substantial breakage between casting and laying operations has become the normal expectation.

Further, aqueducts or the like formed of interconnected pipe sections is prone to break upon any settling of the bed on which the sections are laid. Thus, although precast concrete pipe has been popularly employed for many years, it has been subject to certain difficulties which motivated the present invention as a solution thereto.

While it is recognized that concrete pipes have been formed in trenches, such previous operations have involved segmental or successivecasting, elaborate inner forms requiring extensive removal operations, or have been subject to other difliculties restricting their full utility.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus for forming pipe continuously in an open trench.

Another object is to minimize expense, labor, and time in the making and laying of pipe, conduit, or the like.

Another object is to construct pipe from a flowable hardenable material by placing such material around a hollow disposable form positioned in a trench.

Another object is to form pipe in a trench which pipe is of predetermined substantially uniform dimensions throughout its length.

- Another object is to position a form about which flowable concrete is poured in predetermined spaced relation to the walls of a trench in which a pipe is to be formed.

Another object is to trowel and smooth the upper surface of semi-fluid concrete poured over a form in a trench,

. Another object is to provide an apparatus for performing the above described purposes.

..Theseand other objects will become more fully apparout upon reference to the following description.

2,987,793 Patented June 13, 1961 ICE? In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal, vertical section of an open trench, and of an apparatus for forming pipe in the trench in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on a plane at a position indicated by line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the trench and the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on a plane at a pbsi tion represented by line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section taken on a plane at a position represented by line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on a plane at a position represented by line 66 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a somewhat enlarged, horizontal section taken on a plane at a position represented by line 7'-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a somewhat enlarged, fragmentary perspective of a portion of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6

FIG. 9 is a vertical section taken on a plane at a position represented by line 9-9 of FIG. 7 and includes a position of adjustment shown in dot-dash lines.

Referring with greater particularity to the accompanying drawings, a trench 10 is dug in the ground, indicated at 11, and provides opposed side walls 12 and a bottom wall 13 preferably of semi-cylindrical shape thus being" concentric to a substantially horizontal axis extended longitudinally of the trench. It is to be understood, however, that the bottom of the trench could be of various other shapes without departing from the principles of the present invention.

An elongated substantially cylindrical, hollow, disposable, buoyant, tubular form or core 18 of relatively rigid, preferably shreddable material, such as cardboard, plastic, or the like, is laid on the bottom wall 13 of the trench 11. The form ultimately is continuous along the trench and for this purpose may consist of a plurality of sections 19 interconnected by coupling members 20. The form has a radius less than the radius of curvature of the bottom wall by an amount equal to the desired thickness of a concrete pipe to be formed. Furthermore, the outside diam-' eter of the form is equal to the desired inside diameter of the pipe to be formed, as will be later apparent.

A support frame 25 includes a pair of spaced parallel longitudinal frame members 26 rigidly interconnected by' a plurality of transverse frame members 27, all of which support a platform 28. For convenience of later reference, the support frame has a forward end portion 29, a;

rearward end portion 30 and opposite sides.

With particular reference to FIGS. l and 2, it will be noted that forward and rearward brackets .35 are secured in upstanding position at the corners of the support frame 25 and support pneumatic, elevational adjustment rams 36 in upright positions. The rams provide cylinders 37 and piston rods 38 reciprocally slidable in the cylinders and extended downwardly therefrom. Upper levers 40 are rotatably mounted in the rams and provide outer bear ing collars 41. Lower levers 42 are rigidly secured to the downwardly extended piston rods and forwardly and rearwardly extended therefrom at corresponding end portions of the frame. Slide posts 43 provide lower ends rigidly connected to the lower levers and upper ends slidably extended through the bearing collars of their respectively adjacent upper levers.

Substantially U-shaped downwardly disposed yokes 46 are secured to the piston rods 38 and mount ground errgaging wheels 47 on the axles 48 for rotatable movement;

around substantially horizontal axes.

Forward and rearward pneumatic steering rams 52 are secured in substantially horizontal, transverse positions on the support frame 25 and provide cylinders 53 and oppositely extended reciprocal piston rods 54. Each of the piston rods has a bearing collar 55 thereon slidably fitted to an adjacent slide post 43. Before proceeding to the description of other portions of the apparatus of the present invention, it is to be noted that a horizontal level 60 is'mounted at the forward end portion of the support frame in a convenient position for visual observation by an operator of the machine.

A concrete hopper 65 is provided having a downwardly disposed spout 66 with divergent .end walls 67. An arched bracket 68, best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, is rigidly secured to the support frame 25, and a hopper positioning ram 69 is upwardly extended from the bracket. A plurality of links 70 secured to the ram have lower ends pivotally connected to the hopper 65 for enabling elevational ad justment of the hopper in the frame. A guide rack 71 is mounted in slidable circumscribing relation to the spout by means of a plurality of braces 72 secured to the frame.

Agate 76 is mounted for pivotal movement on a pivot rod 77 transversely positioned in the discharge spout 66 of the hopper and between the end walls 67. The gate is adapted for pivotal movement between oppositely inclined positions in the spout .so as to direct material flowing downwardly through the spout between one or the other of the end walls and the gate. This is best illustrated by reference to FIG. 4. An elongated, substantially vertically positioned control rod 78 is mounted for elevational slidable movement in a sleeve 79 secured to the support frame and provides a handle 80. A lever 81 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the control rod and is rigidly connected to the pivot rod for the gate. Concrete 85 may be delivered to the hopper 65 by means of a chute 86 from a ready-mix truck, or the like, not shown.

At this point it is to be noted that when in use, the support frame 25 is in straddling relation to the trench 11 with the wheels 47 in ground engagement on opposite sides of the trench. It will be apparent that the ground on which the wheels 47 roll is preferably first graded to a substantially level plane transversely horizontal and uniformly spaced from the bottom 13 of the trench. The elevational adjustment rams 36 are actuated to position the platform 28 in a substantially horizontal plane so that the spout 66 of the hopper 65 extendsdownwardly into the trench with the divergent end walls 67 slidably engaging the side walls 12' of the trench and above the form 18. It is to be understood that concrete'85 may be poured directly into the trench rather than being deposited therein through the hopper.

'A pair of pneumatic form positioning rams 90 are mounted in substantially erect positions in the support frame 25' and include cylinders 91 and downwardly extended reciprocal piston rods 92 adapted to be extended intothe trench 11 when the support frame is positioned as above described. Referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9, in particular, a vacuum'housing 93 is secured by means of bolts 94 to the lower end of each piston rod 92 and has a downwardly disposed opening 95. Brackets 98 including substantially vertical flat plates 99 and fractocylindrical plates 100 provide elongated openings 101' and 102 in the fiat and fracto-cylindrical portions, respectively. Vertical adjustment bolts 104 are extended through the elongated openings 101 of the brackets and into opposite sides of the housing 93. Vacuum tubes 106 having closed ends and elongated longitudinal slots 107 arerotatably fitted in the fraoto-cylindrical portions of the brackets and angularly adjustably secured therein by means of bolts 108 radially outwardly extended from the tubes and through the elongated openings 102.-

A pair of main air hoses 112v are connected to the vachousings 93. and branch hoses 113 interconnect the housing and the vacuum tubes 10.6. The form positions ingrams and the vacuum housings and tubes constitute fcrmengaging. members having lower, ends shaped to. fit.

the hollow disposable form 18 so as to be transversely engageable therewith, as best seen in FIG. 6. The brackets 98 are vertically adjusted on the housings 93 and the tubes 106 rotatably adjusted in the brackets depending on the shape and size of the form being employed so that the slots 107 in the tubes, peripherally contact the form and lie along a radial line, extended from the axis of the form g) the axis of the tube, This adjustment is, illustrated in IG. 9. r

A substantially erect, pneumatic, trowel control ram is mounted in the support frame 25 and includes a cylinder 121 and a vertically reciprocal piston rod 122 adapted to extend into the trench 11. A downwardly concave, trowelling shoe 123 is rigidly mounted on the piston rod 122 and is in longitudinal alignment with the trench 11. The shoe preferably has an upturned forward end 124.

Earth traversing movement is imparted tothe frame 25 by means of a winch mounted for rotation on a substantially horizontal axis at the forward end portion 29 of the frame. The winch is conveniently pneumatically driven, and a cable 131 is wound therearound having an end 132 connected to a fixed support 133 longitudinally spaced from the frame along the trench.

An air compressor is mounted on the support frame 25 and has suitable connections, not shown, to the rams 36, 52, 69, 90, main air hoses 112, the rams 120, and the winch 130. A control panel 141 is also mounted on the support frame for enabling control of the various rams, the vacuum housing 93 and tubes 106, and the winch 130 by means of valves provided for the purpose. The pneumatic system is not shown nor described in any greater detail inasmuch as it is believed evident to those familiar with the art.

An elongated guide line 146 is mounted in any convenient way, in a substantially horizontal position, extended longitudinally of the trench, and spaced laterally therefrom, as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. A depth indicator arm 147 is rigidly secured to one of the form positioning rams 90 and has a tapered end 148 adapted to move in adjacent spaced relation to the guide line as the frame is motivated along the trench 11.

Operation The operation of the described embodiment of the.

present invention is believed to be readily apparent and is briefly summarized at this point.

Initially, the trench 11 is dug so as to have a predetermined depth and width thereby to constitute a partial outside form for a concrete pipe to be formed in the trench. The disposable form 18 is then laid on the bottom wall 13 of the trench and extended continuously therealong for as great a distance as it is desired to form the pipe or, alternatively, only a section thereof placed in the ditch and successive sections added thereto by means of the couplings 2 0 as pouring operations proceed.

The support frame 25 is then positioned over. the.

trench 11 and the cable 131 connected to the fixed support 133. The elevational adjustment rams 36 are, actuated so as to position the platform 28 in a substantially horizontal plane; the form positioning rams 90 are acside and bottom walls 12 and 13, respectively, of the.

trench 11,. and spaced above the disposable form 18.

It is assumed, of course, that the line 146 is initially positioned at a height above the ground corresponding to a desired position for the housings 93 and tubes 106. It is further assumed that the housings and tubes have been adjusted, as above described, to conform transversely to the shape of the form.

Concrete 85 is then dumped into the hopper 65 from the chute 86 and the gate 76 pivoted into one of its positions as shown in FIG. 4. Concrete is thus deposited or poured downwardly into the trench between the side and bottom walls 12 and 13 thereof and the form 18. As'the concrete flows downwardly, as best seen in FIG. 4, the form floats upwardly thereon, inasmuch as it is buoyant in the concrete, and rises into engagement with the housings 93 and tubes 106 which constitute form flotation guide means. The latter are adapted to engage the form transversely thereof and to maintain it in predetermined spaced relation to the walls of the trench, as seen in Figs. 4 and 6, and concentric to the bottom of the trench. If any difficulty is experienced in the floatability or buoyancy of the form in the concrete, suction is applied to the housings and the tubes through the air hoses 112 and 113 to draw the form upwardly thereagainst. It thus becomes apparent why it is necessary to adjust the tubes so that the slots 107 are in peripheral engagement with the form. It will of course be apparent that the housing can be so employed to hold the forms concentrically of the bottom of the trench even in anticipation of the pouring of concrete.

Concrete 85 is continuously poured until it flows downwardly around one side of the form, underneath the form and partially upwardly along the other side of the form, as shown in FIG. 4. It then becomes necessary to move the gate 76 to its opposite position by means of the control rod 78. This allows concrete to flow downwardly along the other side of the form to meet with the concrete flowing upwardly therealong completely to enclose or submerge the form in concrete. It will be evident that a tubular concrete pipe 160 is thereby formed around the form 18.

The winch 160 is then energized to move the support frame 25 forwardly. During such movement, the steering rams 52 control the swivelling of the wheels 47 to constrain movement of the frame along a line precisely longitudinally of the trench 11. During this movement the trowelling shoe 123 is adjusted by means of the ram 120 to slide or ride along the upper surface of the concrete 85 so as to round it ofl into substantially semi-cylindrical shape and to gauge the upper thickness of the pipe 160 being formed.

After the frame 25 has been moved a short distance along the trench 11, the winch 130 is stopped, and concrete is allowed to flow into the trench around the form 18, as described above. The form engaging members including the rams 90, the housings 93 and the tubes 106 are again elevationally adjusted to hold the form in predetermined position and the rams 36 adjusted to keep the platform 28 horizontal. Reference to the depth indicator arm 147 and guide line 146 aid the operator in precisely adjusting the rams. It will be evident that a continuous concrete pipe 160 is formed around the disposable form 18 and within the trench 11 as the apparatus is moved longitudinally of the trench. Although the pipe forming operation has been described as a process of stepped or increment progression for illustrative convenience and the operation is sometimes so performed, more exper enced operators prefer to form the pipe in a continuous, steady progression along the trench. In either event, the flotation guide means 93 and/or 106 slide longitudinally along the form 18 whenever the described vehicle is traveled longitudinally of the trench and leave the form embedded in the concrete.

The concrete 85 around the form 18 is then preferably vibrated by any convenient means in order to settle and to compact the concrete around the form. When the concrete has hardened, a digger or other tool, not shown, may

be run through the pipe to rout the form 18. This is readily accomplished since the form is preferably made of shreddable material. Thereafter the shreds of the form are cleaned from within the pipe, as by flowing water therethrough. It is not, however, necessary to rout the form from within the pipe and, in fact, it is sometimes preferable to leave the form in position.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the instant invention may be used with pre-stressed or post-stressed concrete, or with reinforced or non-reinforced concrete, and that the pipe may be laid in sections with expandable joints therebetween for post-stressing purposes.

Therefore, it will be evident that an apparatus for continuously forming a pipe in an open trench has been provided which enables the formation of pipe in a minimum of time, in an economical manner, and with a minimum of labor. In practice, the invention has been found to be excellently suited for carrying out its intended purposes.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A concrete pipe forming machine adapted to hold a hollow disposable buoyant tubular form in predetermined position in an open trench having side and bottom walls while flowable concrete is poured in the trench around the form to float the form on the concrete comprising a support frame adapted to be positioned over the trench, a form engaging member adapted to fit downwardly against the form to hold it in predetermined spaced relation to the side and bottom walls of the trench as the form is floated upwardly on the concrete, means mounting the form engaging member on the frame for elevational adjustable movement in the trench, ground engaging wheels, means mounting the frame on the wheels for independent elevational adjustment thereon to maintain the form engaging member in predetermined attitude and for swivelling of the wheels relative to the frame on substantially erect axes, drive means on the frame for imparting earth traversing movement thereto, steering means mounted on the frame and connected to the wheel mounting means for controlled swivelling of the wheels to steer the frame along a predetermined path longitudinally of the trench, an elongated guide line longitudinally extended in laterally adjacent spaced relation to the top of the trench, and a depth indicating arm laterally outwardly extended from the elevational adjusting means for the form engaging member and having an end adapted to travel in predetermined adjacent relation to the line when the frame is moved longitudinally in the trench.

2. A concrete pipe forming machine adapted to position an elongated continuous hollow disposable flowable tubular form in a trench having side and bottom walls and an open top while pouring flowable concrete in the trench around the form to float the form upwardly on the I concrete comprising a support frame adapted to be positioned above the trench in straddling relation thereto having forward and rearward end portions and opposite sides extended outwardly on opposite sides of the trench, a form engaging member adapted to fit in slidable transverse engagement with the form, a substantially erect ram mounted on the frame and connected to the form engaging member for elevationally adjusting the member into predetermined spaced relation to the bottom wall of the trench, a plurality of ground engaging wheels rotatable around substantially horizontal axes, elevational adjusting rams individually connecting the wheels to the frame whereby the frame is adapted for forward earth traversing movement longitudinally of the trench along a predetermined path, the wheels being connected to the frame for swivelling movement around substantially ver' tieal axes, means independently controlling the elevational adjustment rams for tilting the form engaging member forwardly and real-wardly and laterally in the trench whereby the form engaging member may be maintained in predetermined attitude and spaced relation to the side and bottom walls of the trench, a fixed support mounted inlongitudinally spacedrelation to the support frame and adjacent to the trench, a winch rotatably mountedon theforward end portion of the frame, a cable connected to the'fixed support and wound around the winch, powered means for rotating the' winch to wind the cable there-- around whereby earth traversing movement along said predetermied path is imparted to the frame, and steering rams mounted-on the frame and connected to the wheels for controlled swivelling thereof to maintain movement of the frame along said predetermined path.

3. A concrete pipe forming machine adapted to hold a hollow disposable buoyant tubular form in position in an open trench having side and bottom walls while flowable concrete is poured inthe trench around the form to float the form on the concrete comprising a support frame adapted to be positioned over the trench, a form engaging member adapted to fit downwardly against the form to hold it in predetermined spaced relation to the side and bottom Walls of the trench as the form is floated upwardly on the concrete, means mounting the form engaging member on the frame for elevational adjustable movement in the trench, ground engaging Wheels, means mounting the frame on the wheels for independentelevational adjustment thereon to maintain the form engaging member in selected attitude, drive means for impartingearth traversing movement to the frame, an elongated guide line longitudinally extended in laterally adjacent spaced'relation to the top of the trench, and a depth indicating arm laterally outwardly extended from the elevati'onal adjusting means for the form engaging member and having antend adapted to travel in predetermined adjacent relation to the line when the frame is moved longitudinally in the trench. 7

a 4. A concrete pipe forming machine adapted to positiontan elongated continuous hollow disposable flowable tubular form in a trench having side and bottom: walls and an open top while pouring flowable concrete in the trench around the form to float the form'upwardly on the concrete comprising a support frame adaptedzto be posi tioned above the trench in straddling relation thereto havingforward and rearward end portions and opposite'sides extended outwardly on opposite sides of the trench, a form engaging member adapted to fit in slidable transverse engagement with the form, a substantially erect ram mountedon the frame and connected to the form engaging'member for elevationally adjusting the member into predetermined spaced relation to the bottom wall of the trench, a plurality of ground engaging wheels rotatable around substantially horizontal axes, elevational adjusting rams: individually connecting the wheels to the frame whereby the frame is adapted for forward earth traversing movement longitudinally of thettrench' along a predetermined path, means independently controlling the elevational' adjustment rams for tilting the form engaging member forwardly and rearwardly and laterally in the trench whereby the form engaging member may bemaint-ained in selected attitude and spaced relation'to the side and bottom walls of the trench, and powered means for motivating the support frame longitudinally of the trench.

5. A machine for forming pipe from flowable material adapted to harden upon setting, said machine being adapted to hold a hollow buoyant tubular form in position in an open trench having side and bottom walls while such flowable material is poured into the trench around the form to float the form on the material comprising a support frame adapted to be positioned over the trench, a form engaging member adapted to fit downwardly against the form to hold it in predetermined spaced relation-to-the side and bottom walls of the trench as the form is floated upwardly on the material, means mounting the'form engaging member on the frame for elevational adjustable movement relative thereto and relative to the trench, ground supported means mounting the frame for earth traversing movement longitudinally of the trench, drive means for imparting earth traversing movement to the frame, an elongated guide line longitudinally extended in laterally adjacent spaced relation to the top of the trench, and a depth indicating arm laterally outwardly extended from the elevational adjusting'means for the form engaging member and having an end adapted to travel inpredetermined adjacent relation to the line when the frame is moved longitudinally of the trench.

6. A machine for forming a pipe about a tubular form located in an open trench, said pipe to be formed from flowable material adapted to harden upon setting, comprising a support frame adapted to be positioned over the trench, a form engaging member adapted to fit downwardly against the form in the trench to hold it in predetermined position in the trench as the pipe is formed, means mounting the form engaging member on the frame for elevationaladjustable movement in the trench, ground supported earth traversing means, vertically adjustable means borne by the ground supporting means and mounting the frame thereon for earth traversing movement longitudinally of the trench and for elevational adjustment relative to the trench to maintain the form engaging member in selected attitude, drive means for imparting, earthtraversing movement to the frame, elongated guide means longitudinally extended in laterally adjacent spaced relation to the top of the trench, and a depth indicating arm laterally outwardly extended from the elevational' adjusting means for the form engaging member and having an end adapted to travel in predetermined adjacent relation to the guide means when the frame is moved longitudinally of the trench.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Italy Apn 11, 1938 

